The Montreal Canadiens produced one of the wildest comebacks of the young NHL season, erasing a 5–1 deficit against Pittsburgh before losing 6–5 in overtime. Nick Suzuki finished with a goal and three assists, Cole Caufield scored twice, and Montreal tied the game with two goals in the final 68 seconds. Tommy Novak ended it 1:33 into overtime with his second goal of the night.
The result is unusual because both teams leave with very different emotions from the same game. Pittsburgh gets two points and remains perfect after opening the season with a 7–0 win over Philadelphia. Montreal takes a point from a game that looked lost midway through the second period, but also has to examine how it allowed four consecutive Penguins goals after scoring first.
How did Montreal fall behind 5–1?
Cole Caufield opened the scoring at 3:49 of the first period, giving Montreal the early lead. Pittsburgh answered through Evgeni Malkin on the power play at 14:07. The game then tilted sharply after the first intermission.
Declan Carlile scored just 32 seconds into the second period. Samuel Girard made it 3–1 at 7:59, Novak scored at 14:01, and Ben Kindel added a power-play deflection at 15:32. In less than sixteen minutes of second-period hockey, Pittsburgh transformed a 1–1 game into a four-goal lead.
What started the comeback?
Suzuki’s goal at 18:46 of the second period was crucial. It made the score 5–2 before intermission and changed the emotional shape of the game. A three-goal deficit remained large, but Montreal no longer had to start the third period staring at 5–1.
Caufield then scored his second of the night at 3:31 of the third period. That brought the Canadiens within two and created enough time for a genuine comeback rather than a late consolation push.
How did Montreal tie it in the final minute?
The dramatic part came with goaltender Jakub Dobes pulled for an extra attacker. Suzuki created both late goals. With 1:08 left, he found Chris Kreider for a one-timer that cut the deficit to 5–4. Twenty-four seconds later, Suzuki moved the puck through the crease to Ivan Demidov, who tied it 5–5 with 44 seconds remaining.
Two goals in 24 seconds completely changed a game Pittsburgh appeared to have controlled. Montreal’s ability to create with six attackers was especially impressive because the Penguins knew the Canadiens had to force the puck toward the net.
Why was Nick Suzuki so important?
Suzuki finished with four points: one goal and three assists. His impact went beyond the raw total. He scored the goal that stopped Pittsburgh’s run late in the second period and then set up both goals that tied the game in the final 68 seconds.
That is the profile a team wants from its captain in a comeback: production at different stages of the game, calm puck distribution under pressure and the ability to create when every opponent knows the puck is likely to go through him.
What did Cole Caufield do well?
Caufield scored Montreal’s first and third goals. His opener came on only the Canadiens’ second shot of the game, while his third-period goal gave the comeback real momentum. He finished with three shots and two goals according to the NHL box score.
For a pure scorer, efficiency matters. Caufield does not need to dominate possession by himself to influence the game; he needs to find space, get his release off quickly and punish defensive gaps. Against Pittsburgh, he did that twice.
How did Pittsburgh still win after losing a four-goal lead?
The Penguins recovered in overtime rather than allowing the collapse to define the night. Montreal controlled much of the extra period, but Pittsburgh finally created a two-on-one. Malkin carried the puck and found Novak, who scored from the right circle at 1:33.
That play matters because overtime in the NHL punishes small positional mistakes. Three-on-three creates huge amounts of open ice. One poor change or one lost puck can produce an immediate odd-man rush in the other direction.
What kind of night did Tommy Novak have?
Novak had two goals and an assist. His first goal made it 4–1 in the second period, and his second ended the game in overtime. Producing the winner after Pittsburgh had just surrendered a 5–1 lead gave his night extra significance.
The Penguins also received a goal and two assists from Malkin, while Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang each recorded two assists. Their veteran core was heavily involved in the offensive production.
What about Sidney Crosby’s milestone?
Crosby assisted on Girard’s second-period goal. That assist was the 1,109th of his NHL career, tying Joe Thornton for seventh on the league’s all-time assist list, according to the game reporting.
The milestone was almost lost in the chaos of the scoreline, but it adds historical context to the night. Crosby’s career production continues to move him deeper into the league’s all-time rankings even as Pittsburgh integrates newer players around its veteran stars.
Was Montreal’s comeback a sign of strength or a warning?
Both. Coming back from four goals down shows resilience and high-end offensive talent. Teams do not score four unanswered goals against an NHL opponent by accident, and Montreal’s top players were central to the response.
But allowing Pittsburgh to turn a 1–1 game into 5–1 is also a serious defensive problem. The Canadiens gave up rush chances, power-play opportunities and extended sequences where Pittsburgh controlled the pace. A team cannot rely on dramatic comebacks every night.
How significant was the point in the standings?
Because Montreal forced overtime, the Canadiens earned one standings point despite the loss. Early in the season, it is easy to dismiss individual points as insignificant, but tight playoff races are often decided by small margins months later.
The bigger question is whether the comeback habits are repeatable without the defensive breakdown that created the deficit. Montreal wants the urgency of the third period without needing to be four goals behind first.
What happened to Alexandre Carrier?
Montreal defenseman Alexandre Carrier left during the second period and did not return. The club said he was being evaluated for an undisclosed injury. Until the Canadiens provide a formal update, there is no value in guessing at the diagnosis or recovery timeline.
His availability matters because defensive depth becomes especially important during a busy NHL schedule. If he misses time, Montreal may need to change pairings or bring another defenseman into the lineup.
What is next for the Canadiens?
Montreal returns home to face the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. That game gives the Canadiens an immediate chance to build on the offensive confidence from Pittsburgh while correcting the defensive problems.
The coaching staff will likely review how Pittsburgh generated its second-period surge, how Montreal’s six-on-five attack created late goals and which combinations were most effective when the pace increased.
The game in numbers
- Final: Pittsburgh 6, Montreal 5 in overtime.
- Montreal trailed 5–1 in the second period.
- Nick Suzuki: 1 goal, 3 assists.
- Cole Caufield: 2 goals.
- Tommy Novak: 2 goals, 1 assist, including the overtime winner.
- Montreal tied the game with goals 24 seconds apart in the final 68 seconds.
- Shots: Pittsburgh 30, Montreal 25.
Why this game will be remembered
Most 6–5 games are memorable because of the number of goals. This one had a more unusual structure: an early Montreal lead, a Pittsburgh avalanche, a four-goal Canadiens recovery and then an overtime winner against the momentum.
It is the kind of game that gives both coaches useful evidence. Montreal can point to its refusal to quit. Pittsburgh can point to finding a way to win after losing control. Both teams also have obvious video work to do before their next games.
Sources
The NHL game recap provides the scoring sequence and player totals. The official NHL box score confirms shots, ice time and individual statistics. Montreal’s own club recap confirms the comeback and Carrier’s injury status.
More Canadian sport and analysis is available in Magazine.
